Gandhinagar, Nov 5 (IANS): The Gujarat Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama on Thursday said the schools and the colleges would soon be opened and standard operating procedures were being readied.

Chudasama said, "Following the Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani's instructions to the education department to prepare for reopening of the colleges and Classes 9 to 12 in schools, today, I had a meeting with the higher officials of the department. I have instructed the officials to prepare an SOP for the education to be continued.

"Similarly, we will have a discussion with the Vice Chancellors (VC) of the universities within a day or two and work it out on how to continue the education in colleges. The education in colleges can be continued as the students are old enough to follow the guidelines of the covid-19," added Chudasama.

"As soon as the SOP is framed, the Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, the Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, myself and the education department will decide on when and how to start the education in schools and colleges in these pandemic times," added Chudasama.

"A month ago I had announced that we will be holding the board exams for Classes 10 and 12 in May 2021. So the students will have adequate time to fill up the forms for these exams. We are working in coordination with the health department officials so that every precaution regarding the pandemic can be taken," added Chudasama.

The Education Minister also said that within a couple of days discussions will also be held for the starting of the operations in the primary schools.

According to sources, it is believed that colleges and schools could be reopened after the Diwali festival. It has been seven months since the students have been to school.